PDFE #8 "Stages of Learning"

During class last Monday night, we demonstrated how people move and progress through the different stages of motor learning for the simple skill of tying a bowline knot.  The first stage of learning is called the verbal-cognitive stage in which the learner is first trying to understand what is required of the skill or task.  Although Zach and myself only performed about ten trials for this exercise, I could definitely see the three stages of learning as I tried to learn the knot. 

During the first three trials I was in the verbal-cognitive stage.  I had a lot of self-talk, continued to read through the directions and looked at the pictures provided to understand the details of the steps to tying the bowline knot.  After the third trial I started concentrating more on what I was doing wrong and tried to improve.  I was now in the motor learning stage.  I was performing the knot more quickly and refining the methods I used to complete the knot.  I focused more on the position of the knot and talked less.  I was definitely less frustrated with my performance as well.  After about the seventh trial I moved more into the autonomous stage.  I wouldn't say that I actually reached this stage; however, I was able to finally complete the knot with less cognitive effort and began to remember the steps visually instead of having to read them to myself.  I spent more time in this stage adjusting the tails of the rope and focused on the position of the knot. 

My experience of this exercise definitely matched what the textbook reported. I was frustrated at first and felt very inferior because I couldn't do it.  Until I had someone demonstrate the knot, I couldn't move past the first two steps in tying the bowline knot.  Then I became more familiar with the knot, talked less, and refined my movements.  I was finally relieved when I could actually complete the knot for the first time.  My biggest challenge was the way the information was presented.  I am not a visual learner at all.  I benefit most when information is verbal or presented through physical demonstration.  I felt very inferior and frustrated when I could not just read the steps and figure the knot out for myself.  It really helped to look at what others were doing and to see how my partner was tying the knot.  Although I eventually learned how to tie the knot, I really could never quite become comfortable enough to do other tasks, such as talking at the same time.  Therefore, I could not tie the knot upside down.  I believe that knot-tying is very much a visual task, and I had to find other ways to learn the knot that would benefit me.